Spring lifter



May 28, 1963 w, KlEFFER 3,091,448

SPRING LIFTER Filed July 5, 1961 INVENTOR.

FRED W. KIEFFER BY ea/w, z:

United States Patent Olice Patented May 28, 1963 3,091,448 SPRING LIFTER Fred W. Kieffer, 259 Gardenia Drive, Memphis, Tenn. Filed July 5, 1961, Ser. No. 121,932 2 Claims. c1. 267-60) This invention relates to a spring lifter or booster and particularly to means for counteracting a loss of resilience in the individual front wheel springs of a vehicle.

There have been other types of devices for accomplishing a similar general purpose. However, these previous devices have been difficult to install since it was necessary for the devices to be pressed or forced into position between the coils of the spring. In other words, these previous devices were necessarily provided with a protuberance or protuberances which kept the device in place once it was in posit-ion, yet which formed a hump that had to be forced between the adjacent turns to move the device into place.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming the above and other disadvantages in previous spring lifters.

Thus, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a spring lifter which is easily and quickly installed.

A further object is to provide means in the form of lifters or spacers to be inserted between adjacent coils of a coil spring to increase the height and the effective resilience of the spring.

A further object is to provide such a device which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

A further object is to provide such a spring lifter which is in the shape of a portion of a screw so that the device is adapted to be easily screwed into place between the adjacent turns of a spring without any pressing or forcing necessary.

A further object is to provide such a device that can be used with a conventional drive, ratchet wrench or the like to screw the device into position.

A further object is generally to improve the design and construction of spring lifters.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the spring lifter of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view thereof.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view on a reduced scale showing the device in position ready to be inserted in a spring, and with portions of the device being broken away for purposes of illustration and with only a fragmentary portion of the inserting tool being shown.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of the spring lifter after it is in place and with portions of the spring being broken away for purposes of illustration.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the spring lifter 11 of the present invention is in the form of a one-piece block or body 12 having an outer end 13 and an inner end 15. This nomenclature is used since when spring lifter 11 is in position in a coil spring, as shown in the coil spring 17 in FIG. 6, the inner end 15 is towards the center of the spring and the outer end 13 is towards the outside of the spring. It will be understood that coil spring 17 illustrates one of the individual front wheel springs of a vehicle, not shown.

Body 12 is provided adjacent outer end 13 with a pair of transversely disposed seating portions or grooves 19, 20 which extend on opposite sides of the body and which are preferably arcuate and preferably have substantially the same radius as the turns of the spring with which it is contemplated to be used.

Body 12 is also provided with helical screw portions 21, 23 which respectively lead from adjacent the opposite side edges 25, 27 of inner end 15 to grooves 19, 20. In other words, body 12 is in the shape of a portion of a screw having a pair of helical threads which extend around the body respectively for substantially a half of a turn. Thus, each screw portion 21, 23 leads from a side edge 25 or 27 spirally to the groove on the oppo site side of the body. In addition, the outer end 13 is larger than inner end 15 so that the radius of screw portions 21, 23 increase from adjacent the inner end to the outer end. In other words, the body 12 is shaped substantially in the form of a portion of a screw with the threads increasing in diameter from inner end 15 to outer end 13.

Inner end 15 is elongated in a transverse direction which extends substantially in the same general direction as grooves 19, 20, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. Also, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the width of inner end 15, i.e. as measured between side edges 25 and 27, is less than the width of outer end 13 as measured between grooves 19 and 20. Furthermore, the width of inner end 15, as measured in the above described manner and as compared with the coil spring with which it is contemplated to be used, is preferably less than the distance between adjacent turns of the coil spring, when the coil spring is in a normally at rest position. Also, the distance between grooves 19, 20, measured in a manner as above described, is greater than this distance between the adjacent turns of the coil spring. The importance of this will be understood better in the following description of the operation of the device.

In using the spring lifter 11 of the present invention, the reduced square end portion 29 of a wrench 31, which is preferably a drive, ratchet wrench or the like, is inserted in the square socket 33 which is provided in the outer end 13 of body 12, and the spring lifter is placed in the position shown in FIG. 5 with the inner end 15 extending between an adjacent pair of turns 35, 37 of the coil spring 17. With the spring lifter 11 in the above described position, the wrench 31 is simply rotated onehalf of a turn which will cause the spring lifter to be screwed into a seated position, as shown in FIG. 6, in which the turns 35, 37 respectively rest in grooves 19, 20. In other words, the adjacent turns 35, 37 act in the same manner as an internally threaded socket when a screw is threaded thereinto. Thus, it will be seen that there is no necessity for hammering the spring lifter 11 into place or forcing it, but there is merely a simple onehalf turn of the device without much effort having to be exerted. If the spring lifter 11 had to be forced straight into place as previous types of spring lifters, it will be understood that the protruding portions on the opposite sides of the lifter, as at 39 and 41, would have to force the spring apart before the turns 35, 37 of the spring 17 could fall back into position in grooves 19, 20. In other words, in place of the direct inward movement of the spring lifter, as in previous types of devices, the spring lifter is merely screwed into place.

It will be understood that one spring lifter 11, or as many as needed, may of course be used to restore the proper height, and where the two front wheel springs of a vehicle have diiferent degrees of resiliency, the num ber of spring lifters may be varied as between the springs so as to eliminate tilt in the front end of the car.

In addition, from the foregoing description it will be understood that no special tools or the like need be used,

since every mechanic should have a suitable type of wrench which fits the spring lifter 11 of the present invention. Also, from the foregoing description it will be apparent that a very simple, convenient and useful device is provided for quickly, and without much effort, connteratcing the loss of resilience in coiljsprings.

Although the invention has been described'a'nd "illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications maybe made therein Which are Within the full intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

1. In a v'ehifele of the type having at least one vertically disposed helical suspension spring, a lifter for said spring comprising a body including an inner end and an outer end, said body adjacent said outer end being provided with seating portions, said body being in the shape of a portion of a screw, said body being removably suported by said spring Withsaid seating portions being disposed substantially horizontally and respectively engaging adjacent turns of said spring to lift portions of said spring. I,

2. In a vehicle of the type having at least one front wheel spring, a lifter for said spring comprising a body provided with seating portions, said body being in the shape of a portion of a screw, said body being supported by said spring with said seating portions respectively engaging adjacent turns of'said spring to lift portions of said spring, and said body being turnably removable from said spring.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

2. IN A VEHICLE OF THE TYPE HAVING AT LEAST ONE FRONT WHEEL SPRING, A LIFTER FOR SAID SPRING COMPRISING A BODY PROVIDED WITH SEATING PORTIONS, SAID BODY BEING IN THE SHAPE OF A PORTION OF A SCREW, SAID BODY BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID SPRING WITH SAID SEATING PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING ADJACENT TURNS OF SAID SPRING TO LIFT PORTIONS OF SAID SPRING, AND SAID BODY BEING TURNABLY REMOVABLE FROM SAID SPRING. 